Wagyu katsu sando

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For the sandwich
2 wagyu sirloin steaks – approx. 200g each
4 slices of thick white bread
150g Iberico pork fat
25g butter unsalted, cubed
4 eggs
100g plain flour
250g panko breadcrumbs
¼ white cabbage
½ cucumber – sliced finely
75ml pickling liquid (50ml water, 25ml rice wine vinegar, 12g sugar)

For the sando sauce
1 tsp umami paste
1 tsp mirin
1 tbsp runny honey
2 tsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce

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Makes 2 portions

Prepare the cabbage filling for the sandwich by finely slicing it on a mandolin grater. You can also add kewpie mayonnaise to the cabbage if you’d wish but I like the raw crunchiness texture for my sandwich. Set aside until needed.

Bring the pickling liquor to a boil then take it off the heat. Add the finely sliced cucumber to the liquid and set aside to pickle. This will take around 10 minutes.

Heat up a large frying pan and melt the Iberico pork fat. Place the sliced bread into the pork fat, and add 25g butter per slice, and toast one side only. Set aside on a paper towel to cool.

Next, prepare the meat by trimming the ends off to make the steak slightly larger than the slices of bread. Season with salt.

Heat up the vegetable oil until 200c.

Whilst the oil is heating up, make the sando “tonkostu” sauce by mixing them together in a bowl.

Now breadcrumb the meat by making an egg wash, flour and breadcrumb station and coating the meat in the flour first, then egg and finish with panko breadcrumbs. Set aside until the oil is ready.

Test the oil is ready by placing a couple of breadcrumbs into the oil and see if they sizzle quickly. If it browns too quickly then it may be too hot, if it doesn’t fry at all, then your oil isn’t hot enough. Best to use a probe thermometer here to be sure.

Carefully place one of the steaks into the oil, and fry until golden. This will take around 5 minutes, turning halfway, depending on the size/shape of your steak. Ideally the breadcrumbs will be golden and your meat inside will be medium rare (50c).

Once they are golden and set aside on a paper towel, to pick up any excess oil, coat the non-fried side of bread, and the katsu on both sides liberally with the tonkotsu sauce. Add the cabbage and then wedge together very tightly. Trim the ends off, and cut in half to serve. Finish with the pickled cucumber to snack on.

Enjoy!